Hidden away in the rolling meadows above Bovey Tracey a champion is preparing to challenge some of the best foresters in the world. Richard Elliott, a groundsman, has been involved in chainsaw logging competitions since 1986, when he entered a contest at the Devon County Show. Since then, he has honed his skills and has earned the accolade of UK logging champion 16 times in all. To reach this standard of expertise, he needs to prepare for five different disciplinesRead more
Posts filed in: Management
Shades of Light & Dark
The varied chain of woodlands along the Bovey Valley are among the significant habitat features of the East Dartmoor National Nature Reserve (NNR). They also form part of a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). These classifications aren’t handed out lightly; they are only bestowed on places where local wildlife is a priority, where there is something of note that is so remarkable that we need to protect it and conserve it forRead more
Pullabrook Wood Boundary – Lost in Time?
Ancient boundaries can maintain a vital link to the past; across Devon there are many miles of earth banks with different characters. Some stand stony-faced while others are draped with a display of wildflowers. Some have a shrubby hedge running along the top and others remain bare-backed. Some may be hundreds of years old while others began their existence back in the mists of history, maybe even thousands of years ago but, for all of them, their original purpose inRead more
Giving Lower Plants the Upper Hand
The mild, wet conditions in the south-west of England, brought about by the Gulf Stream and our proximity to the sea, have created perfect conditions for the establishment of Atlantic Woodlands. These moist, humid woods—also known as Celtic Rainforests—are brimming with lush green ferns, carpets of mosses and lichens covering tree trunks and hanging from the canopies. Building Resilience in South West Woodlands is a new Heritage Lottery-funded project—led by Plantlife—that addresses the challenges faced by the Atlantic woodlands ofRead more
Winter Works in Yarner Wood …Update on the New Dam
As many regular visitors will be aware, this winter, Natural England are working on dismantling the old dam near the NNR office in Yarner Wood and rebuilding a fit for purpose new dam. The work was started in January with a May completion date. We are glad to say we are progressing well and slightly ahead of schedule and should complete the construction by mid April – we will keep you updated. Even when the work is complete, given theRead more
Timber! Tools, Trees and Tall Tales – Saturday 24 March
If you want to know what woodland conservation is all about, the Timber! Tools, Trees and Tall Tales event is for you. Hosted by the Woodland Trust and Natural England at Pullabrook Woods in the Bovey Valley the woodland open day will show you why we fell trees, what happens to the timber and how we manage the precious woodland habitats for some of our special wild species. This event will celebrate the use of both traditional wood skills andRead more
